The Games We Play
by Hatsunefangirl
Summary: Eris simply wanted her golden apple back. She wants Nico di Angelo to fetch it for her, aware of the complications it may bring him and several other demigods. But this is how gods and goddesses are right? Either way, she isn't the only one with something up her sleeve. Eros has something planned, and this quest might be his biggest bet yet.


**The Games We Play**

A Percy Jackson and the Olympians/The Heroes of Olympus fanfic by Hatsunefangirl

**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to Rick Riordan, known best by everyone in the fandom as Uncle Rick, except for any and all original characters popping up to advance the plot. Plot is also mine though the idea stemmed from watching the 2000 film, Gladiator.

Enjoy~!

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**Prologue: **The goddess of discord

Eris was furious.

Correction. Eris _is_ furious.

Her golden apple is gone. Well, of course she knew. It's been gone for a long, long, time. _Try Trojan War, perhaps?_ But that didn't stop her from being angry. What she's si angry about is the fact that until now, the gods were still fighting over it. How to find it and all that woodland full of baloney. Even worse is the talk of one of them (_cough_Ares_cough_) lost it somewhere in a "possibly" unstable, stuck in the Roman past, alternate universe.

_I mean sure, they can ask their sons and daughters and basically any demigod that comes their way and it's all dandy for them but can Eris ask one, nooo… none of the gods would ever-_

An evil grin flashed on her face.

_Why, didn't the son of Hades do a little retrieving for Athena just a few months back?_

_Time to bring matters to my own hands._

* * *

"_No_!" Hades boomed. "I will not allow my son on such a dangerous mission."

"Come now, Hades," Zeus chided, turning back to Eris, "let the goddess speak her wish. _I am under oath, after all._" He muttered out the last part.

Eris' lips curled to a smile. "Thank you, Lord Zeus."

She then turned to address the rest of her audience on Olympus. "As you can see, my dear brethren," she did not fail to see some others' faces curl in disdain at the way she addressed them, "years ago, I lost my golden apple to the Trojans. By that time, it was the Trojan War and I had assumed Paris had it with him, even upon his death."

A pause. Everyone in the throne room whispered amongst themselves.

"Have you forgotten, Eris, that you were the beginner of the foul fray?" Aphrodite rose to respond.

A sinister smile morphed into a look of innocence. "Was I, dear Aphrodite, was I?" Eris tapped her chin lightly. "If I remember it correctly, you," she pointed towards the goddess of love, "were the one who offered dear Helen to Paris as bribery, so that he may choose you as the fairest."

"I knew something fishy was going on!" Hera groused, pointing an accusatory finger in Aphrodite's direction. Athena was also about to have a word with the other two when Zeus' loud voice filled the hall.

"ENOUGH!" He spoke to Hera and Athena, "We will speak of the matter over who is fairest later. As for you, Aphrodite, it seems that the golden apple is in your possession."

"Was." She replied calmly.

"Was?" Zeus asked, incredulous.

"I gave it to Ares."

Everyone turned to the war god, Hephaestus muttering _figures_.

"Hey, don't look at me!" The war god held his hands in defense. "I wanted nothing to do with that stu-" he looked back at the wary look Eris was giving him and decided to use his words carefully, "that golden apple so I chucked it to the first human I saw on Hephaestus' TV."

"_YOU WHAT?!"_ Hephaestus bellowed. "No wonder I couldn't get that dam thing fixed for a while." The god of the forges started rolling up his sleeves, ready to strangle Ares. Athena stepped in between them.

"You will have your time to settle the score later, brother." She said to Hephaestus, struggling to push Ares (and his pride back) with her other hand. "Right now," she nodded back to the goddess standing in the midst of the council, "we have another problem to deal with."

Eris nodded in thanks. "As I was saying, Hades' young son has made a success in returning the Athena Parthenos to where it truly belonged; I would like the same thing."

Hades mouth opened to refuse her yet again, when she cut him off. "Of course, seeing as Lord Hades is being quite the father, I assure you that your son will not be going alone."

Hera immediately raised a hand to shush anything Hades was gonna say.

Out of thin air, Eris produced a list of names that went along with Hades' son.

"The seven?" Ares asked aloud.

"Oh, not just the seven," Eris scoffed. "I've also included Bellona's daughter and Apollo's son." She paused. "At Eros' request, might I add."

The Olympians all turned to look at the god of love. His wife, Psyche, stood beside him. While the gods, namely the seven's godly parents, were pleased that their respective children were chosen some were perplexed.

Apollo, amused as he was, was one of them. "Okay, I'll bite. Why Will? I mean, sure, the quest against the Python at Delphi was a huge success but is there some sort of catch?"

Eros spoke, addressing not only the sun god but also the rest of the room. "I remember Plato once told a story, one I desire to stay true. However, the moment the quest is set in motion and the demigods where Eris wishes them to be, Will is to take my task immediately."

The other gods decided not to probe at the god of love's ominous words.

"It would take days to finish such a quest!" Athena argued. "Not to mention such a huge roster of demigods could only spell trouble!"

Eris smiled knowingly. "Oh, believe me. Their tasks are handed out equally."

Hephaestus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I highly doubt that that apple is anywhere near the mortal world we know."

Athena turned to her brother, a bewildered look on her face. "What do you mean?"

Hephaestus coughed. "From what I believe to be true, that golden apple Eris had obviously warped the timeline on my TV. Or, um, how do we say this…" the gods all looked questioningly at him.

He sighed and gave them a patronizing look. "It created an alternate universe, okay? That thing is stuck in some Roman past where gladiators were practically the norm of society. I've tried fixing it. Rewiring the whole thing and everything! Nothing. Absolute nil. That blasted contraption goes back to the same place no matter how many times I try to fix it."

"You didn't happen to throw it away, did you?" Athena asked nervously.

Hephaestus shrugged. "Would if I could. But that thing was the first successful one of its kind. Didn't have the heart to throw it out."

"Where is it now, Hephaestus?"

"Somewhere in my forge."

"Well, that's settled then." Hera concluded. "Why don't you go and get it for dear Eris?"

Hephaestus scoffed but decided if this was what it took to avoid his mom, it was worth it.

He turned and left the room.

Athena went back and sat uneasily into her chair. "This still does not settle well with me…" she murmured softly. Both camps practically losing their leaders was a bad idea.

"What of the Romans?" she spoke up. "Surely they'll need their Praetors. With both of them out on such a quest, who will lead the Romans?"

Eris raised a brow. "Why, Minerva! I never knew you had such concern over the very Romans you scorned."

Athena's face morphed slightly at the sound of her Roman name. She fidgeted in her seat.

Zeus decided to step in for his daughter. "I think that Athena's concerns are in the right place. However, that golden apple is not to be taken lightly. If Hera's grudge is any indication."

Hera glared at her husband, silencing any additional comments Zeus had in mind.

Zeus coughed. "Anyway, the Roman demigods have survived without a Praetor; let us not doubt their prowess now, shall we?"

Athena decided to stay content with Zeus' answer.

Zeus turned to Eris. "Very well then, Eris. Your quest has been approved. Apollo," at this Apollo perked up from his throne, "prepare the prophecy. This meeting is adjourned."

All the gods in the room breathed out a sigh of relief, wanting to go back to their busy work schedules (_cough_Hermes_cough_). Hades disappeared into a curl of mist, returning back to the Underworld.

Zeus sighed. "He'll get over it… eventually."

* * *

Eris stood alone at the center of the room. The gods have left.

_So this is what being on Olympus feels like_, she thought idly, taking in the scents and sights.

Well, not all the gods had left.

Off to the side, she spotted Eros and Psyche.

"Eros," Psyche's lips quivered. Her husband had been quiet for some time now. Ever since Eris revealed that Eros had something planned for Apollo's son, Will was it?, she's been trying to fit together bits and pieces of the story. Some things didn't make sense to her.

What does Plato's story have to do with anything?

Had she thought wrong when Eros made that match?

She hated it when Eros didn't tell her anything. Were they not equals? Was the plan something she can't take a part of?

Then Eros' hand silently weaved into hers, caressing it gently. "Patience, my love," he whispered into her ear, "now is not the time."

"Shall we go home then?" she said tersely.

He smiled silently, giving her a peck on the cheek. "In a moment."

Psyche pursed her lips, looking back at the primordial of discord standing in the empty throne room. Such a huge quest. Such a surmountable number of demigods. Psyche's head reeled. Then her eyes turned to her husband. His lips formed a grim line as he watched the goddess far from them.

"Speak, Eros," Eris said, "what is on your mind?"

Eros moved his body to face Eris.

Eros' hand on Psyche's tensed. He squeezed, drawing strength from the warmth her hand exuded.

"You have brought upon such a huge quest, Eris… and for one such a small treasure as your golden apple. Why, even my mother would only ask two or three demigods for a quest like yours."

Eris took a deep breath, letting it out slowly after. "My circumstances are different from foolish Aphrodite losing a mere comb."

Neither Psyche nor Eros could deny that.

"Then what is it that you plan?" Eros insisted.

Eris' eyes flicked back at the young godly couple then bore their way over to Zeus' throne. Slowly, a smile, the sinister one that is, formed on her lips.

"Oh, I am merely having my fun, I guess." She shrugged, before grinning manically and disappearing in a cloud of mist.

Psyche sighed wearily. No matter how many centuries she's been living with them, she could never get used to the gods and goddesses of Olympus's eccentricities.

She closed her eyes, willing a headache to go away. "I suppose your plan is unquestionable as well?"

Eros shrugged. "Who knows? As the French say, _ces't la vie_."

"Ugh. I hate it when you take French lessons from your mom."

Eros laughed, a rich laugh that never failed to make Psyche's toes curl. At least one good thing came out of being a goddess, living with the rest of the Greek gods and goddesses.

Eros squeezed Psyche's hand again, prompting her out of her musing.

"Shall we go home then, milady?"

Psyche rolled her eyes, but agreed, squeezing Eros' hand in confirmation.

"We shall."

_**End prologue: the goddess of discord**_

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**Hatsunefangirl's Author's Notes:**

_**Whew!**_ **I finished it. **

**So, um, hi, to all the people of 's Percy Jackson archive~! I'm Hatsunefangirl and this is my very first contribution to the PJO fandom and in addition, the Solangelo tag. Ooops. A direct spoiler right there… or is it? I mean, how sure are we that this is Solangelo? **_***laughs nervously***_

**Well, I guess that's it. I hope you'll find an interest in this fanfic. I tried my best, rising out of my rusty stupor. **

**Oh! Remember, flames are used to burn down trees, so if you are an environmentalist, care about the environment, care about the fact that global warming will destroy us all, or just really love trees, then please, please, please do not flame. I am assuming you know what flames are, by the way.**

**Thank you very much!**


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